Bulldozer and the like



0d. 18, 1938. Q LE BLEU 2,133,549

' BULLDOZER AND THE LIKE Filed March 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F'IG.

INVENTOR.

BY wall 22M ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 18, 1938. c. LE BLEU BULLDOZER AND THE LIKE Filed March 25, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,133,549 BULLDQZERAND mm Charles Le Bleu, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March 25, 1936,Serial No. 70,850

18 Claims. (01. av-144) This invention relates, generally, to earthhandling devices, the term earth being taken in the broad sense toinclude snow and the like,

adaptedto be mounted on a vehicle to be pushed thereby across a surfaceto be treated and includes apusher frame mounted on the vehicle andcarrying a scraper forwardly thereof arid a control mechanism disposedand adapted to 'operate automatically to adjust the workin relation ofthe scraper to the surface to be reated when the pushing force of thevehicle vari s from a predetermined value.

It is an object of my inventioh to prov de in a bulldozer, trailbuilder,snow plow and he like adapted to be pushed across a surface to betreated, a control mechanism disposed an adapted to automaticallyoperate when the fishing force varies from a given value.

It is another object of my invention to provide in a device of thecharacter named adapted to be pushed across a surface to be treated,means adapted to operate automatically when the pushing force variesfrom a predetermined value to adjust the working relation of the deviceto the surface to be treated.

Still another object of my invention is the provision in a device of thecharacter named adapted to be pushed across a surface to be treated, ofmeans adapted to be automatically operated by the pushing force toadjust the working relation of the device to the surface .to be treatedwhen the pushing force reaches a predetermined value, and means tocontrol the operative and inoperative positions of the device.

Still another object of my invention is the provision in a device of thecharacter named adapted to be mounted for vertical swinging movement ona vehicle'to be pushed thereby across a surface to be treated, of meansadapted to be automatically operated by the pushing force to swing thedevice and adjust the working relation of the device to the surface tobe treated when the pushing force reaches a predetermined value.

Another object of my invention is the provision in a device of thecharacter named adapted to be pushed across a surface to be treated, 01'means adapted to be automatically operated by the pushing force, whensaid pushing force exceeds a predetermined value, to adjust the workingrelation of the device to the surface to be treated.

Another object of my invention is the provision in a device of thecharacter named adapted to be mounted for vertical swinging movement ona vehicle to be pmhed thereby across a surface to be treated, 01' meansadapted to be automatically operatedby the pushing force to swing thedevice to the surface to be treated'when the pushing force varies from apredetermined value.

Another object of myginvention is the provision in a device of the caracter named adapted to be mounted for vertical swinging movement on avehicle to be, pushed thereby across a surface to be treated, of meansadapted to be automatically operated by the pushing force to swing thedevice and adjust the working relation of the device to thejsurface tobe treated when the pushmeans operable at will to positively swing thedevice.

Still other and further objects and advantages of this invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art upon a detailed perusal of thespeciflcations in connection with the attached drawings wherein Iexemplify and describe a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it isto be understood that my invention is susceptible to numerous changesand modifications and that such changes and modifications may be made inthe combination, correlation, and construction of parts, members, andfeatures as do not constitute a departure from the spirit of theinvention as defined in the claims annexed hereto.

Irithe drawings: I

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention, partly in section, mounted on atractor of'conventional design.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a crank shaft one of which is mounted ineach of the longitudinally extending arms.

Referring now to the characters of referenceon the drawings, the deviceincludes a pusher frame. designated generally as F comprising a pair ofside frames I 0 spaced apart and carrying at their front ends a box likecross member H. Each of the side frames l0 comprises'a hollow boxedfront section l2 open at its rear end-and ing units l4 disposed one ateach of the opposite sides of the tractor and pivoted at l5 forindependent vertical swinging movement. Secured to each of the tracklaying units is a pair of brackets l6 carrying a trunnion l1, and, asshown,

the rear ends of pusher arms l3 are swingably the device and adjust theworking relation of mounted on trunnions 11. Thus it is seen that apusher frame F is secured to the tractor for swinging movement in avertical plane. As shown, the forward and lower edge of the cross memberIlls provided with a scraper l9.

Mounted on each of the hollow boxed front sections are bearings l9having journaled therein a crank shaft 29. The front ends of pusher armsl3 are each journaled on the crank pin portion 35 of the respectivecrank shaft 20. Disposed between the inner ends of crank shafts 20 is ashaft 2| joined at its opposite ends each to the inner end of a crankshaft 20 by means of keyways and keys 22, and sleeve couplings 23.Carried by each of the sleeve couplings 23 is an arm 24 extendingrearwardly therefrom and provided each with a plurality of openings 25.

Secured to each of the track frames 14 are tnmnions 28 and 21, mountd ontrunnions 26, one at each of the opposite sides of the tractor, arecantilever brackets 23. Pivotally mounted on trunnions 21 are verticallinks 29 pivotally connected at their upper ends at 30 to cantileverbrackets 23. Thus, a cantilever bracket 23 is mounted one on each of thetrack laying units.

Pivotally mounted on the forward end of each of the cantilever brackets23 at 33 is a hydraulic jack 3| pivotally connected at their lower endseach to an arm 24' at 36 as shown in Figure 2. These jacks 3| are ofconventional design comprising in each a cylinder 32 and a piston androd assembly 34.

It will be noted that pusher arms l3 each are provided with a pin 31slidably mounted in slots 33 in the hollow boxed sections l2 the purposeof which is to limit relative movement as between the front and rearsections l2 and I3 respectively of side frames l0.

It will readily be seen that if fluid undervpressure is admitted intothe lower end of cylinders 32 and the upper endsof cylinders 32 areconnected to exhaust, then the piston and rod assembly 34 may be forcedupwardly and thus the forward end of the device maybe raised by swingingthe same in a vertical plane about the horizontal axis at IT.

It is also readily seen that if .fluid under. pressure is admitted intothe upper ends of cylinders 32 and the lower ends of'cylinders 32 areconnected to exhaust, then the piston and rod assembly 34 may be forceddownwardly and thus the forward end of the device may be lowered byswinging the same in a vertical plane about the horizontal axis at H.

In order to operate the hydraulic jacks as described, I provide a pump Pfor subjecting fluid to pressure. A conduit 39 is connected to theexhaust side of the pump-P and to the intake port of a control valve 40;This valve is of conventional design andincludesia housing 4| providedwith an intake port 42, a return port 43, and a pair of operating ports44 and45. Rotatably mounted in the housing. 4| is a valve plug 43provided with a through port 41 and a pair of side ports 48 and 49.

A return conduit 50 connects through port 41 with a fluid reserve tank5|. The control valve being in the neutral position shown fluid may Thusit is seen that operating port 44 is connected in common by suitableconduit means, to the upper ends of the pair of cylinders 32. In asimilar manner a conduit 55 is connected to operating port 45 andinterconnected by means of branch conduits 59 and 51 to the lower endsof the pair of cylinders 32. Thus it is seen that operating port 45 isinterconnected by suitable conduit means, to the upper end of the pairof cylinders 32.

It is likely best explained at this point that since the upper ends ofcylinders 32 are interconnected, and likewise that since the lower endsof cylinders 32 are interconnected, a flexible control means is thusprovided on each of the track laying units whereby said track layingunits may freely swing vertically and independently of each other andthus cause the fluid in the pair of cylinders 32 to shift back and forththerebetween to permit the track laying units to swing freely andsuspend the front end of the device parallel to the horizontal axis H.

To raise the device by the operation of the hydraulic jacks 3|, valveplug 49 is rotated counterclockwise to register through port 41 withoperating port 45 to direct fluid under pressure into the lower ends ofcylinders 32 for raising the device and at the same time register sideport 48 to exhaust the fluid from the upper ends of cylinders 32.

To lower the device by the operation of the hydraulic jacks 3|, valveplug 46 is rotated clockwise to register through port 41 with operatingport 44 to direct fluid under pressure into the upper ends of cylinders32 for lowering the device and at the same time register side port 49with operating port 45 and return port 43 to exhaust the fluid from thelower ends of cylinders 32.- 1

The principal object of this invention is the provision in a device ofthe character described adapted to be mounted on a vehicle to be pushedthereby across a surface to be'treated, of an auxiliary control meansdisposed and adapted to be automatically operated by the pushing forceof the vehicle, when said pushing force varies from .a predeterminedvalue, to adjust the working re- .lation of the deviceto the surface tobe treated.

The structure by which this end is'attained has already been describedand the operation thereof will now be explained.

Viewing Figure 2, assume the device to be in scraping contact with thesurface to be treated, then the resistance thus offered to the advancingmovement of the device tends to shift the hollow boxed sections l2rearwardly relative to pusher arms I3 and since pusher arms I3 areconnected at their front ends to the crank pin portion of crank shaft 29journaled on hollow boxed section I 2, then rearward shifting of boxedsection l2 relative to pusher arm l3 will cause counter- I clockwiserotation of crank shaft 20 to which is lower end of a hydraulic jack andthus is prevented from moving downwardly, then the front end of thedevice will be raised. Thus the working relation of the device to thesurface to be treated is automatically adjusted by the pushing force ofthe vehicle. Obviously when the device has been thus raised to the pointwhere the pushing force required to push the scraper forward is lessthan the given value, the device will cease to move upwardly and thedevice may then move downwardly thus automatically seeking a workingrelation to the surface to be treated that will offer a constant valueof resistance to the advancing movement of-the device.

In a practical embodiment of my invention the relative effective lengthsof the crank 58 and arm 24 is determined from a proper consideration ofthe weight of the device and the pushing force of the vehicle.Therefore, I have provided a multiplicity of openings 25 in arm 24whereby the relative effective lengths of crank 58 and arm 24 may beadjusted to conform to the pushing force of a particular vehicle wherebythe working relation of the device to the surface to be treated will beautomatically adjusted when the pushing force of the vehicle varies froma predetermined value.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent,. is:

1. In a device of the character described, a

pusher frame provided with a scraper at its front end and adapted to bemounted on a vehicle for movement relative thereto and to be pushedthereby across a surface to be treated, said pusher frame beingcontractable by the pushing force of the vehicle when the pushing forcereaches a predetermined value and extensible by the weight of the devicewhen the pushing force is less than the predetermined value, and meansadapted to be operated by the contraction and extension of the pusherframe to automatically determine the horizontal working relation of thescraper to the surface to be treated.

2. In a device of the character described, a

pusher frame provided with a scraper at its front end and adapted to bemounted on a vehicle for movement relative thereto and to be pushedthereby across a surface to be treated, said pusher frame beingcontractable by the pushing force of the vehicle when the pushing forcereaches a predetermined value and extensible by the weight of the devicewhen the pushing force is less than the predetermined value, means topredetermine the value, and means adapted to be operated by thecontraction and extension of the pusher frame to automatically determinethe working relation of the scraper to the surface to be treated.

3. In a device of the character described, a pusher frame provided witha scraper at its front end and adapted to be mounted on a vehicle formovement relative thereto and to be pushed thereby across a surface tobe treated, said pusher frame being contractable by the pushing force ofthe vehicle when the pushing force reaches a predetermined value, and acrank shaft disposed with the pusher frame and adapted to be rocked bythe contraction thereof.

4. An earth moving machine comprising a vehicle, a pusher frame providedwith a scraper at its front end and mounted at its rear end on thevehicle for swinging movement in a vertical plane and to be pushed bythe vehicle across a surface to be treated, said pusher frame beingcontractable by the pushing force of the vehicle when the pushing forcereaches a predetermined value, and a crank shaft disposed with thepusher frame and connected to the vehicle to be rocked by contraction ofthe pusher frame to impart swinging 3 movement to said pusher frame andadjust the scraper relative to the surface to be treated.

5. An earth moving machine comprising a vehicle, a pusher frameprovidedwith a scraper at its front end and mounted atits rear end on thevehicle for swinging movement in a vertical plane and to be pushed bythe vehicle across a surface to be treated, said pusher frame beingcontractable by the pushing force of the vehicle when the pushing forcereaches a predetermined value, means to predetermine thevalue, and acrank shaft disposed with the pusher frame and connected to the vehicleto be rocked by the contraction of the pusher frame to impart swingingmovement to said pusher frame and thus adjust the scraper relative tothe surface to be treated.

6. An earth moving machine comprising a vehicle, a pusher frame providedwith a scraper at its front end and mounted at its rear end on thevehicle for swinging movement in a vertical plane and to be pushed bythe vehicle across a surface to be treated, said pusher frame beingcontractable by the pushing force of the vehicle when the pushing forcereaches a predetermined value; means to fix said value; a pair ofhydraulic jacks mounted on the vehicle; a crank shaft mounted on thepusher frame; means connecting the hydraulic jacks and the crank shaft,said crank shaft being disposed with the pusher frame to be rocked bythe contraction thereof to impart swinging movement thereto and thusautomaticallyadjust the scraper relative to the surface to be treated;and means to operate the hydraulic jack for swinging the pusher frame.

7. An earth moving machine comprising a vehicle; apusher frame providedwith a scraper at its front end and mounted at its rear end on thevehicle for swinging movement in a vertical plane and to be pushed bythe vehicle across a surface to be treated, said pusher frame beingcontractable by the pushing force of the vehicle when the pushing forcereaches a predetermined value, means for fixing the value; a pair ofhydraulic jacks mounted on the vehicle; a crank shaft mounted on thepusher frame for limited rocking movement; a pair of crank arms carriedby the crank shaft; means pivotally connecting the crank arms each to ahydraulic jack; said crank shaft being disposed with the pusher frame tobe rocked by the contraction thereof to impart swinging movement theretoand thus automatically adjust the scraper relative to the surface to betreated; and means to operate the hydraulic jacks for positivelyswinging the pusher frame to raise and lower the scraper.

8. An earth moving machine comprising a vehicle, a pusher frame providedwith a scraper at its front end and mounted at its rear end on thevehicle for swinging movement in a vertical plane and to be pushed bythe vehicle across a surface to be treated, said pusher frame beingadapted for limited contraction by the pushing force of the .vehiclewhen the pushing force reaches a predetermined value; means to fix saidvalue; a crank shaft mounted on the pusher frame for limited rockingmovement; a pair of crank arms carried by the crank shaft; a pair ofhydraulic jacks mounted on the vehicle; means pivotally connecting'thecrank arms each to a hydraulic jack, said hydraulic jacks being operableto over-reach the limited rocking movement of the crank shaft, saidcrank shaft being disposed with the pusher frame to be rocked by thecontraction thereof to impart swinging movement thereto and thusautomatically adjust the scraper relative to the surface to be treated;and means to operate the hydraulic jacks to overreach the limitedrocking movement of the crank shaft and positively swing the pusherframe for raising and lowering the scraper.

9. An earth moving machine comprising a tractor including a body and apair of track laying units disposed one at each of the opposite sides ofthe body and journaled behind their front ends to the body forindependent vertical swinging movement; a pusher frame provided with ascraper at its front end and mounted at its rear end on the track layingunits for swinging movement in a vertical ,plane and to be treated, saidpusher frame being adapted for limited contraction by the pushing forceof the tractor when the pushing force reaches a given value; means tofix the value; a crank shaft disposed with the pusher frame forwardly ofthe track laying units for limited rocking movement; a pair of crankarms carried by the crank shaft one in front of each of the track layingunits; a pair of hydraulic jacks mounted one on each of the track layingunits; means connecting said pair of crank arms each to a hydraulicJack, said hydraulic Jacks being connected in common to a source offluid under pressure and operable to over-reach the limited rockingmovement of the crank shaft and positively swingthe pusher frame toraiseand lower the scraper, said crank shaft being disposed with thepusher frame to be rocked by the contraction thereof to impart swingingmovement thereto and thus automatically adjust the scraper relative tothe surface to be treated.

10. In a device of the class described, a scraping unit, a pair ofsubstantially spaced apart box beams secured at their front ends to thescraping unit, a pair of crank shafts journaled one in each of the boxbeams, an arm carried by each of the crank shafts and adapted at theirouter ends for connection to a vehicle, and a pair of pusher armsshiftably disposed one in each of the box beams journaled at their frontends each to the crank pin portion of a crank shaft and adapted at theirrear ends to be mounted on the vehicle whereby the scraping unit may bepushed across a surface to be treated and the crank shafts may beautomatically rocked to raise the scraping unit when the pushing forceapplied by the vehicle reaches a predetermined value.

11. An earth moving machine comprising a self propelled vehicle, ascraping unit disposed forwardly of the vehicle, a pair of substantiallyspaced apart hollow box beams secured at their front ends to thescraping unit, a pair of crank shafts Journaled one in each of the boxbeams, an arm carried by each of the crank shafts, means connecting thearms to the vehicle, a pair of pusher arms shiftably disposed one ineach of the box beams, means pivotally mounting the front ends of thepusher arms each on the crank pin portion of a crank shaft, and meanspivotally mounting the rear ends of the pusher arms on the vehicle.

12. An earth moving machine comprising a self propelled vehicle, ascraping unit disposed forwardly of the vehicle, a pair of substantiallyspaced apart box beams secured at their front ends to the scraping unit,a pair of crank shafts iournaled one in each of the box beams, an armcarried by each of the crank shafts, power operated control meansadjustably connecting the arms to the vehicle, a pair of pusher armsshiftably disposed one in each of the box beams,

means pivotally'mounting the front ends of the pusher arms each on thecrank pin portion of a crank shaft, and means pivotally mounting therear ends of the pusher arms on the vehicle.

13, In a device of the character described, a

tractor, a pusher frame comprising collapsible side frame elements and atransverse scraper rigidly secured to the foremost of said collapsiblemembers, means pivotally connecting the rearmost of said collapsiblemembers to the tractor, means for positively raising and lowering theside frame elements and scraper and for setting the scraper in adetermined position, and means interposed between said raising andlowering means and the foremost members of the side frames whereby aforce of predetermined value acting to collapse the side frame memberswith relation to each other will tend to raise the scraper and framewith relation to the lifting and lowering means, thereby adjusting theworking relation of the scraper to the surface to be treated.

14. In a device of the character described, a

tractor having opposite track laying units thereon, side frame elements,each comprising a pair of side frame members assembled for relativelimited longitudinal movement, means pivotally connecting the rearmostof said members to the tracklaying units of the tractor, a scraperdisposed transversely of the tractor and rigidly mounted upon theforemost of said frame members, a pair of cantilever brackets, one foreach of the tracklaying units, means articulately mounting said bracketsto their respective track-laying units, means acting between said leversand side frame structures for raising and lowering the side frames andthe scraper, and means disposed between the forward members of the sideframe elements and the said raising and lowering means whereby relativelongitudinal movement between the,members of the side frames as producedby a resisting force against the scraper will act automatically toadjust the scraper with relation to the raising and lowering means andthe surface to be treated.

i 15. An earth working tool comprising a tractor having track-layingunits at the opposite sides thereof, a frame structure for eachtrack-laying unit, said frame structure comprising a cantileverarticulately connected to the track-laying unit, lifting and loweringmeans carried at the free end of each of said cantilevers, a track frameelement comprising a pair of members having horizontal movement withrelation to each other, one of said members being pivoted to thetrack-laying unit, a scraper extending transversely of the tractor andrigidly supported at the forward ends of the other of said members,means connecting the forward ends of said members with the lifting andlowering means, said means including structures whereby resistance tomovement of the scraper blade will produce relative longitudinal movement of the frame members and will simultaneously lift the scraper bladewith relation to the surface being treated.

16. In a device of the character described, a pusher frame provided witha scraper at its front end and adapted at its rear end to be mounted ona vehicle for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, and to bepushed thereby across the surface to be treated, said pusher frame beingcontractable by the pushing force of the vehicle when the pushing forcereaches a predetermined value and extensible by the weight of the devicewhen the pushing force is less than the predetermined value, and meansadapted to be operated by the contraction and expansion of the pusherframe to automatically swing the same about the said horizontal axis todetermine the horizontal working relation of the scraper to the surfaceto be treated.

17. In a device of the character described, a vehicle, a pusher frameprovided with a scraper at its front end, means mounting the pusherframe on the vehicle for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, saidpusher frame being contractable by the pushing force of the vehicle whenthe pushing force reaches a predetermined value, raising and loweringmeans for positively swinging the pusher frame about said horizontalaxis for raising and lowering the scraper, and means interposed betweensaid raising and lowering means and the pusher frame whereby a force ofpredetermined value acting to contract said pusher frame will tend toswing the same about 50 said horizontal axis and thereby adjust theworking relation of the scraper to the surface to be treated.

18. In a device of the character described, a tractor, a pusher framecomprising collapsible side elements and a transverse scraper mounted onthe foremost of said collapsible members, means pivotally connecting therearmost of said collapsible members to the tractor, means forpositively raising and lowering the side frame elements and scraper forsetting the scraper in a predetermined position, and means interposedbetween said raising and lowering means and the foremost members of theside frames whereby a force of predetermined value acting to collapsethe side frame members with relation to each other will tend to raisethe scraper and frame with relation to the lifting and lowering meansthereby adjusting the working relation of the scraper to the surface tobe treated.

CHARLES LE BLEU.

